Gun light



km S w a 6 5 m6 Nov. 10, 1959 J. F. CORNETT GUN LIGHT Filed March 25, 1957 John F. Corneff IN VENTOR.

United States Fatent C GUN LIGHT John F. Cornett, Lenoir City, Tenn. Application March 25, 1957, Serial No. 648,338 1 Claim. (Cl. 2406.41)

The present invention generally relates to improvements in attachment for firearms and more particularly relates to a light for attachment to the barrel of a firearm whereby the light may be operated by the person using the gun for illuminating a target thus permitting the use of the firearm during periods of darkness.

An object of the present invention is to provide a light for attachment to a gun barrel adjacent the muzzle thereof in which the mounting means for the light provides means for adjusting the position of the light so that the light will illuminate the area immediately surrounding the target and also provide sufficient illumination to permit the person using the gun to readily identify the target such as when the gun is being employed at night.

A very important object of the present invention is to provide a light for attachment to a gun which has been reduced to a practical construction having a minimum of parts all of which are extremely simple in construction and all of which permit the attachment to be manufactured in a relatively inexpensive manner and which provides a highly effective light for the purposes to which the same is adapted.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a rifle with the light of the present invention attached thereto;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the attachment showing its relationship to the rifle;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal, sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 3-3 of Figure 2 illustrating the details of construction of the light bulb, the housing and the means for mounting the bulb in the housing;

Figure 4 is a transverse, vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 44 of Figure 1 illustrating the ground switch for energizing the light bulb;

Figure 5 is a sectional view illustrating the manner in which the present invention is adapted for use with a pistol; and

Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view showing a modified means for attaching the housing for the light bulb to the rifle barrel.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the gun light of the present invention for attachment to a rifle barrel 12 having the usual stock 14 and front sight 16 as well as the other components normally provided on a rifle.

Disposed immediately forwardly of the stock 14 is a battery case 18 secured to the barrel 12 by spring clips 20 or other detachable connecting means. The battery case 18 may be of any conventional construction and preferably includes a cluster of four pencil like batteries interconnected electrically with a wire of the insulated Patented Nov. 10, 1959 ice typ'e designated by numeral 22 extending forwardly therefrom and a ground wire 24 extending rearwardly there from along the juncture between the stock 14 and the barrel 12. The free end of the wire 24 is connected to a snap fastener element 26 detachably connected to a snap fastener element 28 mounted on a spring member 30 secured to the stock 14 by a screw threaded fastener 32. The free end of the spring member 30 is provided with an inwardly extending projection 34 for engagement with the gun barrel 12 for completing a circuit and energizing the light in a manner described hereinafter. It is noted that the snap fastener element 26 forms a thumb button whereby a person employing the gun having his hand normally steadying the gun by positioning under the stock as shown in Figure 1 may engage the thumb button snap fastener 26 without altering the position of the hands thus permitting control of the light while effectively steadying the gun in the usual manner.

Disposed adjacent the forward end of the barrel 12 and immediately rearwardly of the front gun sight 16 is a tubular housing 36 having a chamfered portion 38 at its outer end with a screw threaded annular retaining member 40 serving to retain a lens 42 on a shoulder formed by the chamfered portion 38. The other end of the casing 36 is provided with an inwardly extending peripheral flange 44 having an enlarged central opening 46 therein. Bonded or adhesively secured to the outer surface of the flange 44 is an annular rubber member 48 for receiving and cushioning a flange 50 on a light bulb base 52 of a special construction and which includes a spherical bulb portion 54 and a pair of electrodes 56 and 58 arranged in such a manner that the filament is disposed with the spiral portion disposed longitudinally of the light bulb. This filament is designated by numeral 60 and this special filament having the spiral convolutions extending longitudinally will assure that a round or circular light pattern will be projected by the light thus assuring that a symmetrical target area will be illuminated.

The base 52 of the light bulb provided with diametric projections 62 received in bayonet slots 64 in a socket 66 having the wire 22 connected thereto. A compression spring 68 is provided between the base of the bulb and the wire 22 for completing the electrical circuit to the light bulb.

Secured to the upper surface of the casing or housing 36 is a saddle 70 having a substantially V-shaped upper edge 72 for engagement with the cylindrical surface of the rifle barrel 12 whereby the device will be centered on the rifle barrel 12 and will fit rifle barrels of various sizes. If desired, a cushioning gasket 74 may be disposed between the rifle barrel 12 and the saddle 70. An endless clamp strap 76 encircles the rifle barrel 12 and the tubular casing 36 with a clamp screw 78 extending through an enlarged slot 80 in the saddle 70 and also through opposite portions of the endless strap 76. Clamp members 82 are disposed against the outer surfaces of the strap 76 with one of the members 82 being screw threaded for receiving the clamp screw 78 whereby the housing or casing 36 may be rigidly and permanently secured to the rifle barrel 12. The clamp members 82 are provided with inturned ends 84 overlying the edges of the endless strap 76 for positioning the clamp members 82 in proper orien-v tation.

For securely clamping the light bulb in adjusted position, an internally threaded end cap 86 is provided which engages the outer surface of the flange 50 on the base 52 of the light bulb thus securely clamping the flange 50 against the rubber material 48 for cushioning the light bulb and for retaining the light bulb in adjusted position. The surface of the flange 50 against the resilient material 48 may be serrated or otherwise roughened to assure proper gripping relation between the flange 50 and the resilient material. The cushioning of the resilient material will assure along life of the filament 60 in the light bulb and will also prevent the light bulb from becoming maladjusted due to the shock created by firing of the firearm. By loosening cap 86, the lateral position of the bulb may be varied in relation to the casing and barrel. The filament will project a circular light outwardly for illuminating a target so that the target area illuminated will include the point of impact of a projectile fired from the barrel of the gun.

The dimensions as set forth hereinafter have been found to be completely practical and I have successfully constructed the present invention by using the dimensions as follows: The casing or housing 36 is of an inch in diameter, one and a quarter inches long with the thickness of the wall of of an inch. The front end of the case is chamfered out inside for one quarter of an inch from the front end and of an inch deep in the wall. Disposed against the shoulder may be a ring gasket of an inch thick and A of an inch wide around the wall of the case. A bulls-eye type of lens 42 which is /8 of an inch in diameter fits in this chamfer against the gasket and it is noted that the lens has a flat ground inner surface and a convex outer surface. A threaded ring of an inch wide is screwed into the inside front of the case thus making the lens secure in the case. In the rear end of the light case, the opening 46 is of an inch in diameter-and the rubber material 48 is of an inch thick and is fused or glued on. The special electric bulb has a flange of an inch in diameter and A of an inch thick which is built around the metal shank or base of the bulb. The bulb is inserted through the rear opening in the casing and the flange rests flat on the rubber material. The screw cap 86 is provided with a of an inch opening in the center for the bulb shank and when screwed on the rear of the case will put pressure on the bulb flange making it secure. The saddle 70 includes a square angle from stock V of an inch having a /2 inch throat across the open upper end with the saddle being one inch long. This angle is welded lengthwise to the light case by using two spacer legs one at each end of the angle for providing the opening or slot 80. The metal band is A. of an inch wide and the clamp members are of course of an inch long with the hole in the center to employ a /s inch screw bolt whereby the screw will aflix the casing to the barrel.

Figure 5 represents a modification of the present invention which may be employed in conjunction with a pistol having a butt designated by numeral 90 having a sleeve of rubber material 92 thereon. Embedded in the front or side wall of the sleeve 92 is a wire 94 which leads to the light casing. The sleeve 92 is provided with a reinforced bottom 96 having spaced snap fastener elements 98 and 100 therein for engagement with coacting snap fastener elements 102 and 104 disposed in a battery case 106. A wire 94 is connected to the snap fastener element 98 and the snap fastener element 102 is con nected to the positive terminal of the batteries within the case 106. The snap fastener 100 is normally spaced from the metallic butt 90 of the pistol and the snap fastener element 104 is connected with the ground terminal of the batteries in the case 106. A spring switch member 108 is connected to the casing 106 and is provided with an inturned free end 110 for projecting through a slot 112 in the sleeve 92 for coming into contact with both the snap fastener element 100 and the butt of the gun thus effectively grounding the snap fastener element and the butt of the gun thus completing the electrical circuit for illuminating the light when the spring element 108 is flexed inwardly for bringing the projection into contact with both the snap fastener element 100 and the butt 90 of the pistol.

Figure 6 represents a modified form of the present invention in which the casing 36' is provided with a pair of upstanding lugs 116 and 118 which are adapted to be received on opposite sides of the depending lug 120 attached to the bottom edge of a rifle barrel 12 as by welding 122. The lug 120 has a pair of openings 124 with the lugs 116 and 118 having similar openings 126 for reeciving screw threaded fasteners 130.' It is pointed out that the openings 126 in the lug 116 may be screwthreaded while the openings in the lug 118 may be countersunk for receiving the screws 130 in the usual manner for rigidly securing the casing 36' to the rifle barrel 12'.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and de' scribed, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A gun light comprising a cylindrical casing, means mounting said casing on a gun barrel adjacent the muzzle thereof, a light bulb movably mounted in said casing for adjusting the area of illumination of the light bulb to include the point of impact of the projectile fired by the gun at a target, a battery assembly mounted on the gun and being electrically connected with the light bulb, and switch means for making and breaking the electrical connection between the bulb and battery assembly, said casing including an inwardly extending flange having an opening receiving the bulb, a rubber backing on said flange, a screw cap on said casing having an opening in alignment with the opening in the flange, said bulb having a base extending through the cap and being less in crosssectional area than the openings, said base having a peripheral flange disposed between the cap and the rubber backing for resiliently clamping the bulb in adjusted position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,029,951 Seely June 18, 1912 1,084,905 Schwarz Jan. 20, 1914 1,435,156 Godley Nov. 14, 1922 1,455,929 Neif May 22, 1923 1,535,459 Fredrickson Apr. 28, 1925 1,826,004 Key Oct. 6, 1931 1,923,531 Deflorez Aug. 21, 1933 2,529,057 Teffault Nov. 7, 1950 

